Welcome!

Things are getting back on track.

Mostly used to my new schedule!

Finished last week's chapter and this week's and nearly halfway into the next!

Thank you for all those reading thus far, every bit of support helps with all the changes!

So got a question for you.

I'm still trying to determine which day I'd like to update on now that my work schedule is solidified and I'm mostly used to it.

Saturday morning since, with Volume 9 complete, it feels like a normal update date, as I use it a lot in the past (that and Fridays).

Sunday morning like I used to and put the story back on its usual schedule?

Or Monday so I can respond to my reviews and readers easier as it's the first of my day's off?

Which day would you prefer?

Breakfast seemed to be moving by smoothly.

She had anticipated something this morning. A passing word, but no, her father and mother were appreciating the meal, enjoying a pleasant chat with one another, and disregarding her existence.

As usual, she was seldom noticed unless she had done something upsetting or was the cause of conversation. Only acknowledged when she had wronged and punished accordingly.

Trivia could not recall the last time she heard praise. To listen to them laud her accomplishments instead of being fearful or reject them.

Was it so much to ask to be praised for doing something?

Also, did Naruto know how to answer his scroll or something? She had called him several times this morning! Well, he was bumbling to use the camera app, so he might have had no clue how to access the video call feature…

Someone in the house to know! The drunk! Well, he was presumably wasted…

Great, he probably was in the house alone with the drunk, waiting for his translator to get there and start teaching him while trying to figure out his scroll, as he didn't comprehend the object!

Ugh! Did she have to demonstrate that to him too?

The start of her day was terrific!

"Trivia, a word if you would, dear." Her father's voice caught her attention, and her eyes darted across the table and met his gaze.

He was perfectly calm and perfectly poised on the other end. Like he always did. A proper gentleman that exhibited the utmost class and respect. Yet his voice was patronizing and pretentious, even toward her.

And her mother. Affectionately adoring him and fawning over every choice he made, no matter what it was. Only pushing him when she didn't like a specific decision he made. Quietly whispering in his ears…

What was it now? She hadn't…

"There was an odd incident in a shop nearby yesterday…"

Oh no.

He knew. Which meant…

"Stated it involved a blonde Faunus and a brown-haired girl of diminutive stature." Jim lour as he confronted his daughter, his gaze sternly scrutinizing. "Anything you have to say about this, young lady?"

Trivia wanted nothing more than to shriek at the top of her lungs. To muster remarks and tell him off. That she was not at fault, well, she intended on stealing from them, and she technically did, but…

Her father probably knew that.

In response, she gnashed her teeth as she activated her communication board on her scroll and mashed her keys quickly. Sliding it across the table, her eyes furiously gazed profoundly into her father's, unflinchingly refusing to back down.

"Let us see what you have to say." Jim seemed almost delighted with his daughter's response, despite not using her voice as he had hoped, refusing to concede.

He picked up the scroll, and if Trivia's eyes were deceiving her…

Smirked?

"I see. Yes, I was aware he is not a Faunus and that the incident upset him greatly, and that caused the two of you to leave straight away, forgetting to pay for your things. Such bigotry. What value does it have if it affects the bottom line?" Jim shook his head before his face returned to a scowl. "Nevertheless, you should not have left the house, young lady. unsupervised without informing precisely where you are both heading."

"Jim?" Carmel frowned as she narrowed her eyes at her husband before briefly looking at her daughter. "Trivia shouldn't leave the house unsupervised, period. She is much too vulnerable…"

"Which is exactly why informing us where they are heading should be more than adequate. By staying in the area as this is the safest district in Vale and being escorted by a young Huntsman in training, she'll be fine enough with her tricks." Jim replied as he eased his wife's concerns, as she still didn't look pleased but did not engage further, turning his unconditional focus onto Trivia.

Trivia's eyes burned luminously as she met her father's gaze as he spoke. "But only after she has earned the privilege of leaving the house, however. And I expect absolute perfection if she wants an hour out of the house on each visit."

"No rules broken any longer. No terrified staff. Her academic courses consistently earn top marks. Maybe even an utterance or two if she could muster it." Jim slyly added, nearly making her snarl and her eyes water.

But continued to shine as she refused to bow. After all the years of being ignored. Being left in her room…

Now he's willing to let her out? But only if she listened?

"I see that fire in your eyes. That stubborn will is like my own. Prove to me you fight for what you want. And I will acquiesce," Jim concluded as he slid Trivia's scroll across the table.

And while her mother looked on disapprovingly, Trivia stared back defiantly. With a quick prompt, she responded and slid it across with a simple response.

Her eyes shone and reverberated as her father nodded, his cocky smirk only irking her additionally upon seeing her text.

I will prove it.

And she would.

Trivia would not yield.

She would triumph and earn her freedom, even if it meant playing his game. And when the time was right…

Well, the tables would turn.

Yang was not pleased to be staring down at her foe at the table this morning.

Shoveling cereal into her mouth, she glowered in an unwelcoming manner as Blake chewed on a piece of toast and minded her business. The girl was sitting in her usual spot! The spot next to Ruby as she ate her cereal!

And her dad said nothing about it! She wasn't going to take his spot or Naruto's spot! That wasn't fair! But why did this girl get her spot?

And how dare she help Ruby with her reading?

She was taking away her job as a big sister!

How she hated this girl so much!

Maybe they wouldn't notice if she were to take her out to that cabin…

"Yang!" Tai's voice called out, and she dropped her spoon into her milk, worried her father had somehow heard her thoughts. "Don't forget to wash dishes after breakfast, honey."

Sighing in relief that her thoughts weren't heard aloud, Yang smiled and nodded. She hadn't said that for everyone to hear…

"How do I answer this stupid thing?" Naruto's voice echoed from outside the kitchen as he walked in, holding his newly acquired scroll as it buzzed wildly. "Kali showed me how to work the phone feature, but this isn't a phone call! It keeps coming up as something else and has mute girl's name on it. Tri, Triv-ia…"

"Wait, let me see it." Blake offered her hand in assisting upon hearing his frustration, and he passed it over. "Oh, you are getting a video chat call. That's a different function. You have to answer it differently. Like this."

Pressing a different app, the holo screen opened before Blake, and she held it out for Naruto as an annoyed Trivia appeared visibly incensed. "Are you kidding me? How was I supposed to know that? All this is new to me?"

"Don't you sign angrily at me like that! I did not know how to answer the stupid thing! Mute girl, I still haven't had my tea yet! Don't start!" Naruto took the screen back from Blake and began sputtering at Trivia, glowering the entire time at her as he awkwardly tried to find a handle of the scroll as it was in this state. "This thing is so weird, but it is so cool. Thank you for showing me how to answer it!"

"My pleasure! I can't wait to get one of my own!" Blake grinned before she returned to her toast before she caught an intense glare from across the table. "What's your problem?"

"You are my problem hero–stealer! Leave my house!" Yang banged her fists on the table, lilac eyes burning red.

"Yang Xiao Long!" Tai reprimanded his daughter, and she shrunk in her chair, immediately regretful for screaming, seeing everyone in the room looking at her. "To your room, young lady! I will be there shortly to discuss why what you said was disrespectful!"

"Yes sir…"

Yang hung her head as she slumped out of the kitchen, her feet dragging with each step. At that exact moment, Kali entered, finishing her morning cares. She sighed as she knew all too well the issues of parenthood.

Blake was on her best behavior here. She knew how much mischief her daughter was capable of causing, especially around her friends. She was surprised she wasn't getting along with the blonde better as her few friends at home were similar to Yang's personality…

Shaking her head of that thought, as there were more pressing concerns, Kali frowned as she tilted her head upon the scene before her. Naruto was on his scroll, and the video function was active? Was that the Vanille girl? Furthermore, was she attempting to teach him over the scroll as he seemed mildly frustrated and endeavoring to sign back? But listening nonetheless.

That was an interesting development.

"So, am I the only one curious about what I'm watching here?" Kali poured a cup of steaming water into her mug before gently adding the tea bag before she leaned over to Tai as he watched Naruto set down his cereal bowl and return for his tea.

Waiting until Naruto returned to the table, Tai crossed his arms as he looked on with a bemused expression. "It's something alright. But the more curious question is why someone of their social status would reach out to someone like Qrow and his kid? I understand they are aware they had previously met, and Qrow brought her back and believes that Naruto has a speech disability, so there may be some sort of kinship there…"

"To go so far out of their way to make this happen and then to have Qrow sign a non-disclosure agreement before allowing them inside tells me something is off. Something about this feels off, and I'm inclined to agree with Qrow." Tai's face steeled in a stern demeanor as Kali sharply turned her head, unaware of this information. "Add the picture on Naruto's scroll of her door bolted with several industrial strength locks…"

"What?" Kali yowled lowly before shaking her head as she continued to watch the scene of the two practicing over the call. "There has to be something we're unaware of."

"Enough to padlock your daughter's door from the outside?" Tai asked as noted her eyes flattened. "I can't think of any reason why that would be necessary."

She had no response as she looked down and away, despondent.

Sighing as he felt likewise, Tai took a drink of his coffee before stretching. "Well, as interesting as this is…"

"I'll let you get to your lessons." Tai started to make his way out of the kitchen. "Better go figure out what to do with Yang. Just what is with that girl recently…"

"Girlfriend!" Ruby's high pitch squeal nearly sent Tai tumbling, and he barely avoided spilling coffee as he walked by.

Wheeling around, he saw his youngest daughter pointing at the image of the Vanille girl on call. And she looked extremely flustered as Naruto had no idea what Ruby had just said as she popped up on his lap and made the entire situation extremely awkward.

"Hi girlfriend! I'm Ruby Rose!" Ruby waved through the scroll at a flushed Trivia viciously glaring at the four-year-old that interrupted her call. "What's your name?"

Tai had come to the realization at the moment that his daughters were…

Unique.

Every muscle was burning and felt stiff.

Each joint ached.

Her silent breaths were visible in this cold gym.

Every inhalation of air was tormenting her lungs.

But as she bent and flipped on the balanced beam, she preserved and kept her balance in the routine. Pushing the pace faster than last time.

Every time had to be quicker. A step ahead. Yet without losing balance or alignment.

Trivia Vanille would not bend. She would not yield. She would get better. Stronger. Faster!

It started with these morning torture sessions Aurelia put her through! If blonde boy was that fast and strong that he could easily take out Neo, she would have to be physically stronger. If Neo shattered by punching that girl in the face, Trivia needed to be more apt to handle and fend for herself. Her Semblance was not enough. She needed practice with it, but he had shown her something.

Her ability wasn't enough. She needed to be more.

That started here. Do these exercises. Becoming fitter…

But she didn't want to! It was so difficult and tedious!

No, keep focused! Can't fall off again! Must prove father wrong! Show him he does not have the upper hand in this little game!

Finishing the performance at the end of the balancing beam, she heard a surprise clap, and her eyes narrowed.

Her mother? Why did Aurelia allow her mother to watch? She did not want her here. Not after she was the one to…

"Wonderful, dear." Carmel smiled as Aurelia stepped aside as Trivia jumped down to the mat, warily gazing at her mother. "Ah, you remind me of when I was your age, first learning the art of gymnastics. I'm thankful I pushed Jim to request this be part of your fitness schedule as it naturally suits you, dear."

"Ah, if you only were to take ballet, we'd have similar interests." Carmel lamented while smiling down at her daughter before shaking her head. "But you are so far ahead of me where I was on the balance beam. I might just have to send word to Lady Browning to see if she can take you in a few years early, dear."

"Wouldn't it be wonderful if we attended the same Preparatory School when you are of age?" Carmel's smile brightened as she closed her eyes, oblivious to the seething gaze she was receiving from Aurelia and the confused stare coming from Trivia.

A preparatory school? That wasn't what she was training for. As her mother mentioned, she would also have to be eighteen to attend a socialite school. Meanwhile, she could theoretically leave earlier if she proved exceptional enough as a candidate as a Huntress…

"Now, don't give me that look, dear." Carmel opened her eyes, bent down, and gazed deeply into her daughter's rebellious eyes. "I can assure you that in a few years, if Beatrix does accept you into her school…"

"It will be unlike anything you've ever experienced. Something special that these pretentious Huntsman and Huntresses could never hope of achieving." Carmel leaned and whispered into her daughter's ear. "With your gifts, you will flourish there, I am certain."

The way her mother spoke as she stood up and turned from Trivia, arrogantly strutting past an irked Aurelia, left her baffled. And that confident smirk on her lips as she left…

Had her mother convinced her father of something else?

And now there was yet another game to play?

Ugh, this was so frustrating! She could never figure out the rules!

She just needed to escape!

"Hide-and-seek! Hide-and-seek!" Ruby cried out as she bounded around him as he walked through the field just outside the cabin.

Understanding her well enough, at least, that she wanted to play, Naruto shook his head. He then pointed over to his training spot he had set up near the tree line. Hearing her sigh in disappointment, he patted her head, ruffled her hair, and chuckled as he earned a spiteful look from the chibi. "Gotta train little Red! Play later."

"Come on, Ruby! We'll play a game while he works out!" Blake called Ruby over with a broad smile, ignoring the swift and hostile look coming from Yang nearby.

She behaved as she didn't want to be lectured again. She hated seeing her dad upset with her…

But at least he was there again.

Yang smiled and jogged over to take Ruby's hand. "Come on! We'll play while he's busy, okay?"

"Yay!" Ruby cheered joyfully as she skipped alongside Yang as her sister led her to her Faunus rival. "Blake seek! Blake seek!"

"Fine, fine…" Yang muttered, rolled her eyes, and stared directly into Blake's golden eyes. "Gonna beat ya this time. You betta believe it."

"You'll never see me coming," Blake stated confidently before closing her eyes and smiling at Ruby. "Okay then, I'll be the seeker!"

Ignoring the game's festivities, Naruto wandered to his training section to find something wasn't entirely how he had left it. "Huh? This isn't how I left my obstacle course. What gives?"

"Snowball!" Naruto winced as he felt a snowball break apart upside the temple again and suddenly felt deja vu. "I have a distinct feeling of what's happening here… Pops! What did you do to my course?"

Tai grinned, and Naruto didn't like that smug expression. Oh, he despised it. He knew something was wrong as the man casually strolled toward him and the obstacle course he had messed up. "Yo! I don't roam around messing with your stuff…"

"Okay, I kind of do. Take that back…"

"I don't purposely go around and screw around with…"

"Alright, I do, but that's beside the point…"

"Pops! Don't mess with my training stuff, is all I ask!" Naruto had a back-and-forth on realizations before finally coming up with a verdict on how to handle the situation. "That grin is getting really old! How about I smack it off…"

"Whoa!" Naruto suddenly lost his footing as Tai blitzed forward and into the modified obstacle course to show Naruto how it was done. "Wait, what? Hold on!"

It was an impressive performance. Sure, Naruto would mentally admit that. But, letting his ego get the best of him and his desire to show off burst forward.

A devastating combo he had yet to tame.

"Yo!" Naruto gave Taiyang a crossed glare as he shook his fist in annoyance at him. "You think I can't do that? You don't know Uzumaki Naruto! I'll show you! Here I go!"

Without warning, he bolted into the obstacle course to prove the man wrong and that he was the best there was. What he wasn't expecting was a snowball on the side of his head.

"Yo! What gives po…"

Or the second.

And third.

"Am I supposed to be dodging all this?" Naruto had a sudden realization as more and more snowballs started to be pelted at him, and his eyes widened as the Chibi trio joined in on the fun. "Hey, wait a second…"

"No!" Blake cried out, laughing as a fun game had begun, not knowing that all three were recruited to assist with his training.

"Come on! No fair! I wasn't ready to be dodging during this!" Naruto yelled out as he attempted to continue the course while being pegged by balls of snow, doing everything he could to duck and weave out of the well-aimed shots only to be pegged by those not thrown well.

Only for another contestant to partake and smack him directly in the nose. "You!"

Glaring directly at Kali, who gazed upon him with an expression of mirth, Naruto howled as more snowballs pelted him as he kept running for his life. "That's it! Back to nicknames for you!"

"You are now forever Meow-sensei!"

Kali twitched at the name, and her eyes narrowed. What happened next left Naruto panicking as he wasn't sure what she said. She had a sickeningly sweet smile as she knelt next to the girls. "Blake, Ruby, Yang, dears. You should know that you should always throw where your target is heading."

"You'll be more accurate that way."

Suddenly the snowballs landed more accurately, and Naruto cursed as he tried to complete this cursed nightmare of an obstacle course.

"You guys are jerks!"

Did he not learn how to answer his scroll yet?

Come on, pick up already! We need to continue our lesson and hurry up. It was necessary for her plans to accelerate, and the boy was the best option! A chance at freedom must be taken advantage of, so hurry up and answer already!

Was she going to have to call…

Oh? He answered?

"Yeah, yeah! Hold on! I was in the shower!"

Trivia wished she could understand what he was…

She reddened lustrously. Her eyes darted across the entire screen, absorbing everything in full detail that was shown to her.

Was his top half undressed and saturated? Was that a towel?

Oh, those were some well-defined muscles…

No, bad Trivia! Focus…

Focus!

A finger pointed at the screen nodded, and a second pink-haired head nodded vigorously, gleaming at the sight.

NEO! GET OUT OF HERE! How did you come into existence now of all times? How do you continue to summon without my command like this? If you are my creation, you shouldn't be able to spawn without my acknowledgment!

What do you mean no? Neo! Stop pointing at his rippled chest! It's distracting!

"Hello over there! What's going on? Why are you flushing red like this morning? Did someone piss you off again?"

Gah, she had no clue what he was saying! She wished she understood a word that came out of his mouth! Well, he was learning to speak. That was going to take a while…

Propping her scroll in front of her, Trivia placed her hands together and focused while Neo kept grinning and ogling the screen; uncaring Naruto was now dressed. It was time to practice Sign so they could better communicate.

And the more effective their communication was…

The better she could execute her plan when all aligned perfectly! Then maybe…

Trivia would finally choose her path for once!

Wouldn't that be a dream?

"It has been some time, hasn't it, Taiyang? I didn't expect to get a call so soon. I figured you would take your time and think it over,"

"It has been, Oz." Tai conveyed over his scroll. "Under most circumstances, this decision would never be made, and I wouldn't take the kid in. Especially on my own. But…"

Pushing a slightly adjacent door open enough to peek through, Tai softly smiled, observing the sleeping forms of Ruby and Yang. The two slept soundly, the latter snoring as they shared a room while Kali was there with her daughter to help translate for Naruto and help him speak.

"I've seen enough to make a decision. Considering you pay the checks, I called you to negotiate. If I'm no longer working at Signal, I have to be able to afford expenses for three growing children. All of them being bottomless pits apparently…" Tai muttered more to himself as he closed the door and shook his head.

"The pay will be more than enough to cover. I have opened Beacon's vaults to learn more about our pasts, and I'm willing to pay whatever price to gather that information. What little Professor Oobleck has come back and informed me of was quite astonishing. Tell me, have you noticed the boy's aura changing colors or his features turning more feral? I find that one the most fascinating, especially since his test returned positive for being a human and not a Faunus."

Narrowing his eyes to what was already noted and passed on, Tai frowned. He then furrowed his brow as he had noted the feral features while only hearing of his aura change from Bart and Qrow as they brought him back.

"Exactly why do you find those traits most fascinating, Professor Ozpin? They seem relatively mundane compared to the other developments." Tai questioned as there had been more startling revelations while dealing with the teen.

"And each of those is an academic marvel on its own, but to me personally, I find this the most intriguing due to some interesting memoirs by the last Shadow. Tell me, Tai…"

"Have you ever heard of the tale of the Sacred Beasts?"

Chapter 16 Preview:

"Girlfriend! Where we going?"

At that moment, a tick mark developed on her temple. She ground her teeth. Fire lit up in her eyes. Her step hitched, and she lined up her shot…

Naruto held her back.

Trivia was ready to punt a child.